316 Are You Completely Wasting Your Time? Can You Live The Life You Desire? What If Money Were No Object?

In this week’s episode, I open by sharing how not everyone was happy with my previous episode where I shared my thoughts on podcast interview etiquette. At seven and a half minutes into the episode, I give a very brief recap of my two week vacation, one week of which was spent with members from our podcasting community.

The real heart of this episode starts right at 11 minute and 36 seconds. This week, I take a break from the technical aspects of podcasting to talk a little bit about the mindset that drives us. Someone from The Podcast Mastermind started a new discussion thread that stated “This is what the Podcast Mastermind is really all about.” The only thing in the post was a link to a video.

It was several hours before I was able to watch the video myself and after I did, I agreed, this message is at the core of the vision I have for The Podcast Mastermind. What is that message? Well I go into great detail in the episode.

My favorite Quotes From This Episode

Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

If you do really like what you are doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually become a master of it.

The only way to become a master of something is to be be “really with it.”

Anything you can be interested in, you can find others interested in it.

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LOVED this session Cliff!! I am 35 and was searching for years to discover “what I want”. After listening to you and Pat Flynn, it all became clear. Thank you for inspiring me every week! In the past year I started a YouTube channel, a blog… and a Podcast – all about Cloth Diapers!

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

MsDiaperD I am thrilled that you loved this episode. Congrats on discovering a passion that you desire to pursue and for creating the YouTube, blog and podcast channels to share your passion with the world. I wish you great success as you become a master!

JoshuaListon

Really strong episode Cliff! That video meant a lot to me when I first saw it also mate

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

JoshuaListon Thanks for the feedback. I wasn’t sure how this episode of Podcast Answer Man would be recieved. So thankful to get some positive responses to what I felt led to share.

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

akaTGIF Thanks Byron. I am often baffled by the number of people who do not want to commit themselves to the perspiration part of the equation.

http://onelovefornurses.com/ Suzie Farthing

Cliff, this episode tops my list of favorites from the Podcast Answerman! I am becoming increasingly unsettled with the status quo which puts an interesting twist in my career of nursing. I finally realize now that I am a square peg trying to cram myself into a round hole. No more trying to be someone else’s idea of success! The challenge will be easing my family into the idea. Pray for me.
Thanks again, Cliff, for just being YOU!

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

Suzie Farthing You can count on my prayers Suzie!

http://www.ingeniousinternetincome.com/ godlydad

Cliff, thanks again for the amazing episode. First I should say, this is not a complaint! <grin> And thanks for mentioning my comment from the last episode. I hope I didn’t cause you too much panic with the last one.
I am in that situation right now, where I am working to make money in a job that I don’t enjoy doing. However, at the age of 42, I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up! When I hear the question, what would you do if money was no object, I honestly cannot decide. Part of the issue is that I have so many different things I’d like to do but just don’t have the time to do them. Podcasting is one of those things. Video production is another. But overall teaching and encouraging others is something that ties all that together. So I would ask that you pray for direction as I try to decide what direction to go.
But most of all I want to find a way to earn an solid income doing what I want to do, where I want to do it. The key is being able to follow my dreams and passions as you have with your podcasts. I wouldn’t be surprised if deep down I wanted to be just like you, Cliff, in a fashion. I could see myself having multiple podcasts on a variety of topics at some point in the future.
Anyway, before I continue rambling on, thank you for sharing that. I will be sending that video link to my wife and kids and I will be encouraging them to seek what they have a passion for instead of seeking the money. We do get stuck focusing on doing things that will make money instead of things that make us happy. Or even better yet, that is what God has planned for us.

http://photobizx.com AndrewHellmich

Hi Cliffe – great episode, thanks again. What was the name if the movie we “should” watch? Was it monster something?
Thanks
Andrew

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

AndrewHellmich The movie is Monsters University Trailer: http://youtu.be/ODePHkWSg-U

I consider you a mentor and appreciate everything you do for the podcasting community. You have inspired me in ways you’ll never know. This is by far, one of my favorite PAM episodes. I’ve been struggling with a career decision and you helped nudge me in the direction my heart has been leading. Thank you again for all you do, but most of all…thank you for being YOU!

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

Brian Wallace Thanks for the feedback Brian. Mindset is the one thing that we have a lot of control over. It’s the one area that I focus a majority of my attention to when it comes to my personal and professional growth.

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

godlydad Steve, I actually receive messages just like this on a regular basis. Here’s what I am seeing…
You wrote…. “I’d like to do but just don’t have the time to do them.”
then… just after that you wrote….
“But most of all I want to find a way to earn an solid income doing what I want to do”
Since you loved the video so much… Can I suggest that you watch it again focus on the words “FORGET ABOUT THE MONEY.”
See you are you conflicted by “having so many things you would like to do” but “MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WANT ONE OF THOSE THINGS OR ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO PROVIDE YOU A SOLID INCOME.”
With this, you are already putting to much pressure on the things you would “like to do.”
So you have a job that I assume that is currently paying the bills. You say that you don’t have any time to do any of the things that you would like to do, like create a podcast or to do some video production. However, if I may be so bold, I just don’t believe that for a minute.
In December of 2005, I launched a podcast devoted to the tv show LOST as a complete HOBBY. There was no goal to generate income. It was just for the love of doing something in my free time.
I worked as an insurance agent “for the money.” I was very successful in that career and I worked about 50 to 60 hours a week doing it.
I needed something to take my mind off that work in my free time. I had been blogging and playing around with building my own websites and improving them. But then… when I learned about podcasting, I decided to start one for myself.
One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was spending about 10 to 20 hours a week doing podcasting while till keeping my busy schedule in my day job.
You see, I LOVED MY HOBBY SO MUCH that I WAS WILLING TO WORK FROM 10pm to 2am every single night WITHOUT ANY CARE FOR GENERATING A SINGLE TIME. I just loved what I was accomplishing with my podcast(s).
It was not until 18 months later that the thought of generating income came to me. In fact, it was because people began to beg me to teach them how to podcast and offered me to pay them. Also, I had companies approach me, telling me that they wanted to advertise on my show.
Well, more about my story is found on the video on my about page at http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/about
But yeah.. Dude… Keep your day job. TAKE OFF THE PRESSURE OF GENERATING INCOME and go out and start doing ONE THING that you would like to do. Ask your wife to be on board with you by allowing you to commit at least 4 to 6 hours a week devoted to that passion.

That’s my suggestion.

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

MarkMonciardini Mark, Thanks for the comment. I will check out episode 15 of David’s show.

http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/ Cliff Ravenscraft

Shelia That is so awesome Shelia.. Thank you so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed this episode. I wish you great success in the new intentional direction you will be going.

http://www.ingeniousinternetincome.com/ godlydad

Cliff Ravenscraft godlydad
Cliff, I really appreciate your comment and response. I was surprised that you responded not only later on but in such detail.
I’ve been mulling over this response for weeks now and I’ve shared your words of wisdom with my wife and a few friends who are in the same boat. I truly appreciate your response and I am putting that to good use.
I don’t have a specific plan quite yet, but I’m working on it. And one of my focuses is to go out and do the ONE THING that I would like to do. As I told my wife, the problem is that there are some many things that I would like to do. I want to narrow that down to the one thing that I can’t go without doing. Then I know that I can do that even if I never earn a dime from it and enjoy it while I’m doing it.
Thanks again for your encouragement. I’ll have to take you out for cup of coffee or beverage of choice one day. (Sweet tea for me!)
Steve Eason